Cassius, a man with the potential for greatness, ends up never grasping power and fails in esteem and action. He shows his potential in act one as the original organizer of the conspiracy, using Brutus's high regard for honor to cleverly manipulate him into joining their cause by portraying Caesar a dishonorable tyrant. Although, his control peaks in act one and never rises again. Brutus soon siezes all Cassius's power, beginning with outright defiance of Cassius's proposal for an oath by commanding "no, not an oath" (2. 1. 732). From this point forward, Cassius no longer leads the conspiracy; he is at the mercy of others. His mental state begins to slowly deteriorate as a result. In his doubts, he acknowledges the potential he could "slay myself" (3. 1. 1223). His low self esteem prevents him from taking charge in the power vacuum after Caesar's death and a war over Rome's ruler ensues. The suicide remarks become only more numerous as Cassius realizes the conflict over Caesar's body could have been easily avoided "if might have Cassius ruled" (5. 1. 2398). In the end, Cassius cannot live with his failure to take power over the conspiracy, over Brutus, or over Rome, and finally commits suicide (through his servant). His constant self-detrimental remarks and obvious hypocrisy finally catch up to Cassius's conscious and overwhelm him. The character of Cassius teaches readers by example that one must be ambitious and confident; else, slavery to the mistakes of others awaits.
